


The Foxtrot's Not for the Faint of Heart

by KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker, smolmoll04



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-09 01:31:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11094093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker/pseuds/KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker, https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolmoll04/pseuds/smolmoll04
Summary: The Foxes are a dance group working their way up from being mostly underground and found their new studio and Wymack as their producer. The Moriyamas are a powerful human trafficking syndicate and instead of Exy, they deal in dance competitions. Neil's father wanted to sell him to the syndicate but his mother was like NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH and ran with him.Neil has found the Foxes and a familiar face... He also gets to meet a certain sarcastic five foot tall blond and things ensue...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello folks, smolmoll04 here. This is my first collab and I have the pleasure of doing this with a friend!! KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker and I have been thinking about dance aus here and there so we decided to write one!!! I’ve read AFTG once, but that was enough to rope me in lol. This is my first AFTG fic, so I’m nervous about OOC-ness but I’ll do my best! Generally, I’ll be in charge of Neil’s POVs and KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker will be doing Andrew’s. Youuu guys should also read KBmlKW’s Only Fools btw! Um yes, so here’s this???

“Locker rooms are down the hall along with the showers,” Wymack explained, gesturing down the hall. “Technically you all are supposed to use one room but after I leave it’s up to Dan to figure it out.”

Neil was only half listening, taking in the somewhat dirty walls and fluorescent lighting of the building’s interior as they passed on dark studio room to approach a noisier one. There were two exits that he knew of, based on Wymack’s description of the building, and the windows were in no way bulletproof. He would have to give himself a tour of the facilities some time, after he’d dealt with the tiring, but necessary, self-introductions, Q&A, and probable briefing.

“I don’t want to just throw you to the wolves, but,” Wymack shrugged as they stopped in front of the door to the louder, brighter studio. He didn’t bother knocking, instead, he hollered in as he opened the door, “Turn that trash off, your new crew member is here!”

The volume slowly died down and Neil peered in to see a tall dark boy with styled hair clicking an iPod as a girl who was clearly the leader of the crew glaring down a pair that had yet to still.

“Once you’ve shut up a minute, you’ll learn that this here,” Wymack passed a hand over Neil, who was still hanging back, “Is Neil Josten. Play nice, we need bodies.” Wymack indicated that Neil should enter the studio for the necessary evils of ice breaking. Neil glanced at him then at the body count: seven people were in the room, six of whom were staring at him, five of which were looking curious. It made Neil uncomfortable to have that many eyes on him at once, assessing his build and guessing at his strengths and weaknesses. After what felt like ages, the girl who had been glaring approached him, her hands at her sides, a soft but glowing smile on her brown face.

“Hi there Neil! I’m Dan Wilds, the leader of this,” she announced, fluttering a hand behind her. “Bunch. Nice to meet you!” She offered her hand in an unassuming way and took no visible offense when Neil didn’t take it. The boy who had turned off the music had wandered over to stand at Dan’s side, looking warm, if not a little awkward.

“Matt Boyd,” he said, giving Neil a welcoming smile. “I’ll be your main partner until you’ve eased into our rhythm.” Neil nodded, a little uneasy about how much they were crowding him. Matt seemed to catch wind and he nudged Dan to step back. No sooner had Neil been given the space to step into the room completely than another member was in his face.

“Nicky!” the person said, taking Neil’s free and resisting hand.

“Um, could you not touch me uninvited?” Neil asked as Nicky let him go, balling his fingers as he tugged them away.

Nicky blinked at him but smiled and said, “You might have to get used to being touched, dance is all about contact!”

“Nicky,” Matt gave him a warning look.

“Buuut I won’t push it!” Nicky added hastily. “Andrew, don’t sulk, come over and be a human for once!”

Neil looked in the direction Nicky was talking in and a pair of uninterested hazel eyes found his for a moment.

“Psh, him? You’ll have more luck asking a rabid dog to play fetch,” scoffed a blonde, statuesque girl to Neil’s left.

“I thought we talked about giving a good impression,” Matt sighed.

“We don’t have any good to give an impression with, Matt,” the blonde said, looking over her nails.

“At least try and make a positive one then,” Dan cut in with a finalizing sort of tone. “The sooner we get Neil comfortable, the sooner we can enter tournaments and the sooner we can _go to bed_.”

The blonde rolled her eyes and said, “Allison,” in a bored sigh. Dan looked pointedly at the boy sitting next to her and he gave a short, “Seth.” Neil’s eyes traveled over the room to where a short blonde boy was standing, hearing the, “Aaron,” before looking over at Nicky and the last, unintroduced member, the one who seemed entirely disengaged. He was very clearly Aaron’s twin and very unimpressed with Neil; “Andrew,” he said.

“Great! That’s ever--Andrew, where’s Kevin?” Dan’s small happy gesture slumped in exasperation as she found herself one person short. Neil watched Andrew shrug.

“He did say ‘bathroom,’” he answered.

Dan let out a tired exhale. “Kevin’s our eighth member, well, I guess, ninth now, and he probably doesn’t need an introduction,” she said. “He’s the most well-known face on our team.”

Dan was correct, Neil needed no introduction to Kevin Day, but not because he was a dropout from the most prodigious dance group in the region; no, Neil _remembered_ Kevin and hoped beyond hope Kevin did not remember him. Kevin not being in the room made Neil feel very aware of the lack of windows and sole door. He wondered how suffocating the room would seem once Kevin was present.

“I would say we can start assessing you now, but Kevin’s a real bitch when it comes to his crew,” Matt sighed. “Do you mind telling us what styles you’ve learned?”

Neil was acutely aware of the eyes watching him as he adjusted his gym bag over his shoulder. “Well, I was trained in ballet as a kid, but I like jazz and modern dance. I’m not really strong in hip-hop and b-boying, but I’ve done it,” he offered.

“Oh, okay, great!” Dan said, smiling. “You’ve got that basics!”

“Yes,” said a voice from behind Neil. Whipping around so fast Matt started, Neil found himself looking up into the face of Kevin Day. “ _Only_ the basics.” Neil’s heart was pounding in his chest, panic welling in his stomach at the fact that he had not heard Kevin approach, but more so at the idea that Kevin might recognize him, that years of training as a Raven might not have brainwashed him.

“ _Positive_ impression, Kevin,” Dan groaned.

Kevin ignored her in favor of silently assessing Neil. Neil wanted to stare right back, to assert some sort of authority, but his fears of Kevin recognizing him were winning over.

“If you don’t have any song preferences, I’ll just pick one,” Kevin said with a sigh, pushing past Neil into the studio.

“Excuse me?” Neil frowned, turning to follow Kevin as he walked over to the stereo. Kevin shot him an irritated look.

“I have to see your abilities,” he stated and Neil heard Dan sigh.

“Kevin, it’s late--” She began, but Kevin continued ignoring her, watching Neil.

Neil licked his lips and glanced around the room, the eyes of the Foxes still boring into him. He didn’t want to dance in front of everyone, he was tired and wanted to sleep. Even before sleep, he wanted to make sure the premises were secure.

“Fine,” he finally agreed, letting his bag slide down his arm, catching it in his hand. He walked to a free stretch of wall to set it down, his pulse starting to pick up as his heart beat hard against his sternum. “Weight in gold.”

Allison snorted contemptuously. “Full of yourself, aren’t you?”

Kevin only glanced at her before tapping the name into his phone and plugging it into the speakers. “So you know 1 Million,” he said. “Way above your abilities.” He gave Neil a bored once over.

Neil bristled but stayed still, waiting for Kevin to play the song. He just wanted to be done and to leave. He knew the routine, he hadn’t made it up, but he also hadn’t practiced in front of a mirror, or on a real floor, for months. Gallant’s voice filled the room and Neil played the choreo in front of his eyelids. He looked straight at Kevin, unable to focus on anyone else in the room. He didn’t have a choice but to be here, even if he was afraid Kevin would recognize him. He heard Dan give a small, approving gasp when his knees hit the floor, but Kevin’s face remained unimpressed. After the minute passed and Neil was standing again, Kevin hit pause and said, “Junho Lee” and Neil knew he’d recognized the choreo the moment he’d begun to dance.

“You’re sloppy,” came Kevin’s assessment. “You’re not thinking of anything, pulling anything. You had no weight.”

“ _Kevin_ ,” Dan growled.

A cold curl was twisting inside of Neil’s gut. “Oh, I didn’t realize the gold had to be made of disappointment, my bad,” he shot at Kevin and the room went dead silent. Kevin stared at him, the corner of his mouth twitching.

“Better disappointment than worthlessness,” Kevin spat. “At least disappointment shows you have dreams.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew's POV. Time to meet Neil from his perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! KazBrekker_morelike_KazWrecker here! As my lovely partner in crime smolmoll04 already said, this here is our exciting dance fic AU collab. It's super fun and stressful and I've never co-written a fic before so we'll how it goes! I hope you all enjoy!   
> Also, it's for a different fandom, but I highly recommend checking out smolmoll04's fic I Like You a Latte. It's super cute and full of owl puns and her writing is great! Anyway, here's Andrew's first chapter!

Andrew Minyard walked into the studio much later than he was supposed to. He had stopped for a new pack of cigarettes and hadn’t cared enough to try to be on time. He almost never was and no amount of Kevin’s bitching would get him to start now. Reaching the back door of the studio, Andrew punched in the security code and walked in towards the locker rooms. He ignored Nicky’s excited greeting and moved straight to his locker. Grabbing his clothes, he headed into the single bathroom to change. Despite the heat of the studio and the exertion, he always dressed in black shorts with compression leggings underneath, a large black t-shirt, and his ever present armbands. Slipping on his socks and sneakers, he balled his other clothes under his arm and returned to the locker room to put them away. 

 

The door to the main room was open and Andrew mentally steeled himself for the incessant chatter that he could hear spilling out of the room. He walked in and ignored Kevin’s glare at his lateness, sat down in the corner and prepared himself for practice. 

Dan got up and was the first to speak. 

“Hey everyone! Hope you guys got some rest after yesterday’s workout! So we're here to strategize and we also have a surprise for everyone!” 

Andrew rolled his eyes, knowing that whatever the “surprise” was, he wanted no part in it. 

Murmurers had spread through the room at Dan’s mention of the surprise and she clapped her hands to regain everyone’s attention. 

“Okay! So as you all know, the lower level dance tournaments for Columbia are starting soon. This is our chance to really put ourselves on the map and start getting some more attention. If we want to be taken seriously as a group, we're going to need to advance pretty far in the first couple of rounds in order to eventually get into the upper level competitions. The first round is in three weeks so we need to practice as often as possible from now until then.” 

Her last comment was met with a combination of excited cheers (mostly from Nicky and Matt) and a few scattered groans, mostly coming from Aaron and Seth. Matt shushed everyone after a minute and gave Dan a wide smile, encouraging her to continue. 

“So! With that business out of the way, I suppose it's time for the surprise! So we've recently acquired a new member! I haven't met him yet, but Wymack is bringing him by in a couple of hours so we’ll all meet him then. This is good news because as some of you may know, we need at least nine members in order to be eligible for the tournaments. Since Renee’s accident, she's going to have to work more on the sidelines for the foreseeable future as a choreographer. But enough talking for now, let's get practicing! We'll start with Nicky and Aaron’s piece first and go from there.” 

 

Andrew watched his twin be pulled off the floor by Nicky, and smirked at the angry look on his brother’s face. He had still not forgiven Andrew for getting them kicked out of Evermore studios, resulting in them getting stuck with the Foxes. He did his choreography well and worked hard, but he always had a surly expression no matter what. Andrew didn't much care, he had done what he had to do and he wouldn't apologize for it. Aaron was safe and he was still able to keep pursuing dance, so his attitude about the Foxes was his problem. Andrew spaced out for the next several hours until his dance came up. He was currently doing a solo dance that Renee had choreographed for him after her accident, having had to change her original idea of them doing the dance together. He moved through the motions of the dance, his body expressive but his expression as blank as always. He finished up and ignored the applause from his teammates, heading back to his corner of the room. 

Matt just turned on a new song but before anyone else could get up, Wymack stuck his head around the door. “Turn that trash off, your new crew member is here!” 

Andrew didn't bother looking up until he he heard Nicky say his name. “Andrew, don’t sulk, come over and be a human for once!” Andrew looked up and was met with a pair of icy blue eyes. The boy standing there seemed to be close to his age, with a skinny build and slightly curly brown hair. Much to Andrew’s chagrin, he was also annoyingly attractive. He looked away after a moment and ignored Allison’s comment. He tuned out again as they went around the room for introductions, only speaking his name when it was his turn. 

 

Andrew watched with boredom as Kevin made snarky comments to the new boy, Neil and insisted that he show them what he could do. Neil took a deep breath and began to dance as the music poured out of the speakers. Andrew watched as his body weight shifted and rocked, following the drops of the song. His movements were both precise and fluid, motions that seemed too practiced for someone so young. He kept his eyes closed as he danced and Andrew observed his expression. Dan made an approving noise as Neil performed very brief floor work, and as he rose, Andrew watched him open his eyes. His movements began to fade out, and he rose from his half-squat, breath coming a little faster and his hair slightly damp with sweat. His cheeks were flushed and his overly large shirt had pulled down on one side to reveal prominent collarbones. From where Andrew was sitting, he could see the hard line of his jaw, the way his hair curled over his temples. 

_ Fuck. This could be a problem…  _

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil chats with Dan and sees his new apartment for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smolmoll04 here and WOW this is so late!! I've had major writer's block aaaaannnnddd some tensions at home bc work and family things, BUT here's this! I'm still nervous about characterization, but here it is folks.

Dan had convinced Kevin to let the crew out shortly after Neil gave his dance demonstration. Kevin looked furious but Neil was glad for Dan’s insistence they leave it short because he wanted to ensure that his new apartment was secure. He had only been shown the building, given his keys, and told to move along by Wymack. Allison had asked loudly if those not necessary for Neil’s orientation could leave and Dan sighed her consent. Allison, Seth, and Aaron were out the door almost instantly, Nicky and Andrew lagging behind. 

“It was great to meet you, Neil!” Nicky said enthusiastically, waving as he followed Aaron.

“Bye, Nicky,” Matt waved. Neil just watched Nicky go, unsure if he was able to respond with agreeable enthusiasm. 

Andrew did not follow, lazily scanning his phone as he leaned against the wall by the door. While Nicky, Dan, and Matt looked like they had had a workout, Kevin and Andrew seemed not to have broken a drop of sweat. Neil had the feeling that Kevin’s endurance was more than the rest of the crew combined. Andrew appeared not the care and Neil wondering if he even tried to dance.

“So, I don’t know that you’ve heard about us from Wymack,” Dan sighed, her shoulders bouncing. She was planted cross-legged on the floor in front of the mirror. “But, I’ll be the first to tell you we have potential.” 

Kevin gave a derisive snort. 

“And to make that potential talent,” Dan carried on after shooting Kevin a glare, “We need to have a full team to practice with. And you,” she gestured proudly at Neil, “Are exactly what we need.”

“You’re going to need a lot more than this,” Kevin hissed. “To beat the Ravens on any dance floor.”

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” Dan replied coolly. “To get us there.”

There was a tense moment before Kevin appeared to back down. 

“Anyways, we’re planning to enter the city competition in two months, so we have a choreo Renee made for us that Kevin reviewed and approved of,” Dan said. “Matt and Allison are doing the music, but right now we just need you to look over all the group work, then decide which parts you want to be in, and finally, if you want to do a solo or duet!” She beamed. 

Neil stared at her, a creeping sense of regret edging its way into his mind. He would be on a city-wide dance floor, with phones, cameras, and plenty of viewers. If it went well, the Foxes would get a larger platform with a larger audience. That meant more eyes, more exposure. But this was his only chance to dance, to have a studio he belonged to, to have a roof over his head he could call his own, for at least a moment. 

“How long do I have to have to learn the choreo?” Neil said, trying to keep his voice even. 

Dan raised her eyebrows, her smile illuminating her eyes. “I can get it to you tonight!” she said. “Wymack didn’t give me your email, can I get it from you?” 

“Ah,” Neil hesitated. For reasons he did not intend to disclose, he did not in fact, have an email. “I--don’t have one,” he answered finally. 

Matt’s eyebrows shot up and Kevin made a disapproving noise. 

“Well then,” Dan faltered a little. “I can print it off for you! I’ll slip in into your locker for you to look over when you’re here next.” 

“Sure,” Neil agreed. 

“Which will be tomorrow,” Kevin stated. “So I can train you.” 

Dan sighed and Neil looked up at Kevin. The intensity of Kevin's state was not one based on trying to recognize Neil from some hazy memory. It was an annoyed, contemptuous stare, one rooted in competitiveness. Neil hadn't seen Kevin dance in years, not in person, but he had seen him with the Raven crew. He had to know that Neil, or the rest of the Foxes for that matter, would never reach the standards that had been drilled into every fiber and reflex of his muscles - and snapped into his bones. Neil knew his body wasn't ready for whatever Kevin would make him do, but Kevin, for all the threat he posed, had no weapons besides his drills. 

"What time do you want me here?" Neil asked, trying to keep a level tone. 

"Two hours before, an hour after," Kevin said, uncrossing his arms, but keeping his eyebrows in hard scowl. "Usual practice starts at seven and goes till nine."

"Starting next week, though," Dan piped up, "We'll be starting at six or six-thirty."

Kevin glanced at her and she stared right back. "The two hours still stands," he sniffed. "I’ll expect you to stretch beforehand." 

He turned and walked for the door, Andrew straightening as Kevin swept towards him; he gave Neil a short look before following Kevin out. Once the pair were gone, Dan gave a sigh and muttered something that sounded like, "Charming as always," before shaking her head and snapping on a smile for Neil again. 

"So, since it sounds like you'll have a busy day tomorrow, I think we'll just leave it here," she said. "Matt and I have to wrap up here but we can give you a ride to your apartment if you want."

Neil's mind began racing through his options. He didn't know the city well enough to get their by public transportation and he had no idea how many eyes his father might have in the area. 

"That would be great," he nodded. 

"If you want to look around while Dan and I tidy up, we can meet you by the door that leads to the parking lot," Matt offered. 

"Sure," Neil agreed, standing. Good, this would give him the chance to give the facilities a once over. The two exits - yes, only two, he confirmed - did not have the sturdiest locks and neither did the windows, but at least the windows were high and didn't open fully. The lockers had one door. The showers had two stalls with doors. The toilets also had doors. There were three full size dance rooms and a smaller pair with bars and squishy floors. One of the full sized rooms had a small wrack of free weights. It was a decent studio, but it was still shabby in places and nowhere near the security Neil would have been most comfortable with. When he found his way back to the door Matt had described, he found him and Dan leaning against the walls, chatting. 

"Ready?" Dan asked cheerfully and Neil nodded. "Okaayy, where to?" 

Neil told her the address as she pushed open the door. 

"What? No way! That's where I live!" Matt said as he took out a key to lock up with. 

"Really?" Neil raised his eyebrows. 

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "You're right next to me, actually." 

"I see," Neil said, thinking that Wymack must have arranged that on purpose. 

Dan and Matt tried to coax answers out of Neil throughout the ride, and Neil recited the desired information. He was glad they didn't push him for more involvement, but he did see the glances they shared. Dan came up the flight of stairs with them and both waited outside of Neil's door as he peered in, checked the lights, locks, windows, and rooms. It was as he expected. He needed to buy furniture. And a safe. Looking back at the door, he found only Dan. 

"Matt went to get you a sleeping bag," she said, answering his unspoken curiosity. "And you're welcome to sleep on the couch." 

Neil wasn’t sure what to say. The idea of sleeping on a couch was welcome, but for his first night in his new apartment, he wanted to make sure things were to his liking. 

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay with just the sleeping bag,” he replied. 

Dan nodded, but Neil suspected she wanted to ask him if he was sure. “What time do you usually wake up?” she asked instead. 

“Uh, around eight,” Neil replied. 

“Okay! Matt’s an early riser so he can bring you some breakfast then,” Dan said as Matt reappeared in the door holding a sleeping-bag, pad, and a pillow. 

“This is one of those annoying ones you have to inflate,” he said, raising the sleeping-bag pad. “But it’s the thickest one I have.” He looked a little apologetic as he offered them. 

“Thanks,” Neil said. The pillow was very fluffy. 

“Oh, I forgot to grab another blanket,” Matt exclaimed, darting out of sight. 

Dan shook her head with a smile. “If you hadn’t guessed already, he’s the tired dad of the Foxes.”

Neil raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything. When Matt returned, he deposited a blanket and repeated what Dan had said earlier about breakfast. Neil thanked them and once they seemed satisfied, they waved goodnight and left Neil to turn back to his empty apartment. He was drained, but he went through his nightly rituals, checking each room, lock, and key as he brushed his teeth, and again after he’d laid out the sleeping-bag and pillows. Staring up at the ceiling, Neil thought about the next morning. If things went well, he could be able to dance with the Foxes until someone recognized him. If things went  _ really  _ well, this would only be when - and if - they gained popularity in more known dance circles. Neil did not trust his luck, especially with Kevin. He sighed, rolling over to look at the window as he thought about practice the next day, wondering if he even had a month before Kevin realized who he was. 


End file.
